Ian Hutchinson may have a string of TT wins to his name, but still wasn’t happy having to settle for second place in last year’s Superbike and Senior TT races.
With that in mind it appears that both he and the Tyco BMW team have decided that a switch of tyre manufacturer is necessary this year according to information on several independent road racing websites.
For TT 2017 it seems that the Bingley Bullet will now be using Dunlop race tyres, ending a long and illustrious association with the German tyre brand Metzeler.
Dunlop have had a stranglehold of the Superbike & Senior TT races for quite some time now. In fact, the last rider to win a Superbike TT on non-Dunlop rubber was Australia’s Cameron Donald on the Relentless TAS Suzuki in 2008.
Hutchinson is the second major player this season to make the switch, after Guy Martin was signed up by Honda Racing who have a long association with the brand as fans of John McGuinness will be well aware.
Following his record breaking lap at last year’s Ulster GP, Hutchinson is currently regarded as the fastest road racer in the world, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped him seeking that little extra something to give him an edge over arch rival Michael Dunlop in the big bike classes.
Hutchinson has had previous experience in running Dunlop tyres around the Mountain Course, recording five wins back in 2010 and will be looking to add to his 14 wins to date in 2017.
Best stock up on your yellow podium caps Ian…
Find out more about Dunlop’s tyre range here.
